Making the workplace work for mothers.
I collaborate with purpose-driven employers to recognise, support and retain female talent during the transformational period of becoming a mother, known as matrescence.
The lead-up to becoming a parent, taking a career pause, and subsequently returning to the workplace is challenging and disruptive for most mothers.
Nine in 10 mothers encounter difficulties when returning to the workplace after parental leave.
Fewer than one in five women feel confident about returning to work after parental leave.
60% of professional women leave their organisation within a year of returning to the workplace after maternity leave. The most common reason is that they felt unsupported by their employer.
Pregnant then Screwed
Mothers deserve better
They deserve to be recognised, valued, and supported as they adjust to this new phase in their life.
But this doesn’t just benefit mothers, this is good business sense.
The average cost of recruiting, onboarding and retraining a new member of staff to replace a mother who has left the workplace is around £30,000. The knowledge, skills and built relationships lost in this process are far harder to quantify.
Investing in dedicated support for mothers going through matrescence helps you to:
Retain valued employees and enable them to thrive within the business.
Reduce recruitment, training and onboarding costs from high staff turnover.
Build and nurture a healthy female talent pipeline.
Create positive role models to retain and attract more female talent.
Demonstrate you are an empathic employer, strengthening the psychological contract.
Help to narrow the gender pay and gender well-being gaps.
Create a more equitable, diverse, and inclusive culture.
Tailored solutions to support women through their matrescence ensuring alignment with business objectives, company culture and budget.
Whether through individual or group coaching programmes, or interactive workshops, typical areas of support include:
Preparation for the time spent away from the business.
Establishing a parental leave handover, communication strategy, and how to maximise KIT days.
Understanding how matrescence affects professional identity.
Managing challenging emotions such as maternal guilt and separation anxiety.
Setting and maintaining realistic and sustainable boundaries.
Career goals and ambitions.
I also deliver business-centric support including:
Matrescence awareness training for HR partners and line managers.
Family-friendly culture health checks.
Consultancy on developing internal return-to-work programmes and parental support networks.